Sometimes, when things are going exactly the way you want them to go, little things will pop up. You know, the little inconveniences that, if left unchecked, can ruin your entire day, or take away the happiness of the moment or the occasion that you should be enjoying.
We've all been there and unless you are pushing up daisies, you can expect to have more days like this. When those little things show up, smile. It's really that simple. Even if you don't feel like smiling... especially if you don't feel like smiling. It's one of those things. It's like exercising. You may not feel like running, but if you force yourself a couple times a week, soon it becomes a habit and you get to the point where the pain of not doing it far outweighs the pain of doing it.
Smile when things are going wrong, when there are a million challenges hitting you all at once, when the odds are stacked against you, all the time. Now, please don't make a fool of yourself. There are times that call for seriousness and you still have to be an adult, but in those moments, sit up straight, bright-eyed, and exude confidence and contentedness. You need to act the part if this is what you want for your life. No matter how stressed you may feel, keep smiling and expecting the best, and you'll get it.
God bless you. Make it your best day yet.
Showing posts with label habits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label habits. Show all posts
Monday, December 20, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Day # 179 - The Season Begins
In three more days it will be Thanksgiving. Most of us are shifting into day-off mode, "exercising" to stretch our bellies to make room for the delicacies we will enjoy on Thursday. We will gather with friends and family and we will give thanks. In many cases it will be a ritual, we pray because we're supposed to pray and we eat because it's good to eat. Then we go shopping and lose our humanity in that swirl of consumerism known as black Friday. Funny thing about the season: it gives us a chance to miss the point twice.
Potential Church, where my family and I attend service, ran a food drive in cooperation with the Miami Rescue Mission yesterday. We dropped off a couple of turkeys. It felt nice and empty to do it. Why empty? There's something just slightly off about donating food before National Pig-Out Day. I will eat better today, even if I'm not hungry, than most of the world will eat all week. I once read where someone wrote, "The next time you feel like complaining, remember that your garbage can eats better than 90% of the world." Kinda makes you think.
The message in church yesterday was about the history and meaning of the Christmas Tree. The subtext dealt with helping those less fortunate. I have, recently, become a student of Ayn Rand and her philosophy of objectivism. Objectivism is the political philosophy of ego, or, every man for himself, basically. Now I find myself needing to reconcile Objectivism with Christianity. It's easier than you'd think: the better I do, the more good I can do.
The tough part here is the give a man a fish, teach a man to fish thing. Some people were never taught to fish, they've been given fish their whole lives. How to appeal to their egos, how to get them to learn to do what has been done for them for so long, is the greatest challenge there is. The transition is challenging, not impossible, but difficult, especially in this kind of economic environment, and during the time of year when charity is expected.
What are you going to do, not only during this season, but from here on out, to help make your country and your world a better place? Who will you teach to fish? What family will you help? Where will you volunteer? What will you do? Do something, and take your children with you. If you are blessed enough to give them Thanksgiving and Christmas, even modest ones, than you are doing better than so many out there. Service to your fellow man is the path to prosperity, to understanding, to joy, and yes, to heaven.
God bless you. Make it someone else's best day yet, as well as your own.
- Adolfo
http://www.potentialchurch.com
Potential Church, where my family and I attend service, ran a food drive in cooperation with the Miami Rescue Mission yesterday. We dropped off a couple of turkeys. It felt nice and empty to do it. Why empty? There's something just slightly off about donating food before National Pig-Out Day. I will eat better today, even if I'm not hungry, than most of the world will eat all week. I once read where someone wrote, "The next time you feel like complaining, remember that your garbage can eats better than 90% of the world." Kinda makes you think.
The message in church yesterday was about the history and meaning of the Christmas Tree. The subtext dealt with helping those less fortunate. I have, recently, become a student of Ayn Rand and her philosophy of objectivism. Objectivism is the political philosophy of ego, or, every man for himself, basically. Now I find myself needing to reconcile Objectivism with Christianity. It's easier than you'd think: the better I do, the more good I can do.
The tough part here is the give a man a fish, teach a man to fish thing. Some people were never taught to fish, they've been given fish their whole lives. How to appeal to their egos, how to get them to learn to do what has been done for them for so long, is the greatest challenge there is. The transition is challenging, not impossible, but difficult, especially in this kind of economic environment, and during the time of year when charity is expected.
What are you going to do, not only during this season, but from here on out, to help make your country and your world a better place? Who will you teach to fish? What family will you help? Where will you volunteer? What will you do? Do something, and take your children with you. If you are blessed enough to give them Thanksgiving and Christmas, even modest ones, than you are doing better than so many out there. Service to your fellow man is the path to prosperity, to understanding, to joy, and yes, to heaven.
God bless you. Make it someone else's best day yet, as well as your own.
- Adolfo
http://www.potentialchurch.com
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Day # 171 - What Not To Change
This exercise has been about change. Change is constant and would be happening to me anyway, but I decided to take the wheel and guide myself to the right kind of changes. I was in class yesterday at church. It's a class on personal finance, and, being a reformed banker, it's amazing that I already know and understand everything we're "learning," but was trained by my employers to convince my clients that the opposite was good for them.
After class, the subject of finances for single people came up. I gave the singles in the class one bit of advice: learn good money habits, and when you meet the person you will spend your life with, make sure they share your good habits, don't allow their uninformed habits to rub off on you.
As the years pass, we mature. (Nothing obvious about that statement.) But sometimes, we can lose track of our goals or trade in our good habits as our lives get busier. We can get so caught up in a moment, a movement, a person, a relationship, a problem, or countless other things, that we trade off out principles, or lose sight of them. You need to stay focused on what is right and what works and never let go of that.
After class, the subject of finances for single people came up. I gave the singles in the class one bit of advice: learn good money habits, and when you meet the person you will spend your life with, make sure they share your good habits, don't allow their uninformed habits to rub off on you.
As the years pass, we mature. (Nothing obvious about that statement.) But sometimes, we can lose track of our goals or trade in our good habits as our lives get busier. We can get so caught up in a moment, a movement, a person, a relationship, a problem, or countless other things, that we trade off out principles, or lose sight of them. You need to stay focused on what is right and what works and never let go of that.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Day # 147 - Breaking Habits
If this exercise is really about anything, it's about habits. It's about breaking habits and starting habits. Out with the bad and in with the good. Old and new. Whatever, you get the point.
Abby and I have committed to changing certain things about our life. For too long, we have been slaves to consumerism and it has affected our lives in a decidedly negative fashion. We decided to go on a diet of sorts. We are changing our consumption, our habits, how we treat one another, how we talk and what we do with our spare time.
Yesterday, Abby backslid. She did something that was completely in opposition to what we are trying to accomplish as a family.
I calmly told her I was disappointed. That's it. I didn't pop. I didn't yell, I didn't judge. Well, maybe I did judge by telling her I was disappointed, but I didn't criticize.
This morning, she thanked me. She thanked me for keeping my cool, for calmly sharing my feelings, and for allowing her to see the error of her ways. I understand making mistakes. I have a lot of experience in that area. Only recently have I begun to understand the value of accepting responsibility. You can't lead if you don't take responsibility and you can't be anything other than a follower if you're not leading.
It may not seem like much, but it was big step for me. I feel a little pride swelling at what my wife said to me this morning.
That's progress. And this kind of progress is very good indeed.
Make a step today. Even a baby step. You know in which direction.
- Adolfo
Abby and I have committed to changing certain things about our life. For too long, we have been slaves to consumerism and it has affected our lives in a decidedly negative fashion. We decided to go on a diet of sorts. We are changing our consumption, our habits, how we treat one another, how we talk and what we do with our spare time.
Yesterday, Abby backslid. She did something that was completely in opposition to what we are trying to accomplish as a family.
I calmly told her I was disappointed. That's it. I didn't pop. I didn't yell, I didn't judge. Well, maybe I did judge by telling her I was disappointed, but I didn't criticize.
This morning, she thanked me. She thanked me for keeping my cool, for calmly sharing my feelings, and for allowing her to see the error of her ways. I understand making mistakes. I have a lot of experience in that area. Only recently have I begun to understand the value of accepting responsibility. You can't lead if you don't take responsibility and you can't be anything other than a follower if you're not leading.
It may not seem like much, but it was big step for me. I feel a little pride swelling at what my wife said to me this morning.
That's progress. And this kind of progress is very good indeed.
Make a step today. Even a baby step. You know in which direction.
- Adolfo
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